Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Taichung

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,112 a month against $1,183 in Taoyuan, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taoyuan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Taoyuan
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Taoyuan Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index

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Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,183

/mo nomad

Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taoyuan and in Taichung

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taoyuan and in Taichung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Taoyuan versus $1,112 in Taichung.

Taoyuan $1,183
Taichung $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Taoyuan versus $1,856 in Taichung.

Taoyuan $1,731
Taichung $1,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,278 in Taoyuan versus $2,601 in Taichung.

Taoyuan $2,278
Taichung $2,601

Living in Taoyuan is roughly 6% more expensive than in Taichung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taoyuan 13% lower, Taichung 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 NT$135

$4.69 NT$153

-11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.84 NT$810

$31.30 NT$1,021

-20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$178

$4.64 NT$151

17.67%

Cappuccino

$3.00 NT$97.8

$2.89 NT$94.4

3.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 NT$32.66

$1.03 NT$33.52

-2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.65

$0.76 NT$24.62

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 NT$58.9

$1.50 NT$48.83

20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$73.3

$2.66 NT$86.8

-15.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 NT$89.9

$3.08 NT$101

-10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 NT$37.73

$1.65 NT$53.7

-29.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 NT$84.0

$2.59 NT$84.3

-0.39%

Eggs

$2.14 NT$69.9

$2.54 NT$82.9

-15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 NT$288

$28.53 NT$930

-69.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 NT$233

$7.76 NT$253

-7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 NT$692

$16.59 NT$541

27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NT$123

$4.21 NT$137

-10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 NT$63.3

$1.94 NT$63.2

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NT$99.4

$3.01 NT$98.2

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$99.5

$2.13 NT$69.5

43.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NT$79.5

$1.21 NT$39.53

101.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$62.2

$1.93 NT$63.0

-1.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$74.6

$2.25 NT$73.5

1.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$28.21

$0.89 NT$29.05

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.85 NT$158

$3.79 NT$124

27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 NT$351

$15.10 NT$492

-28.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 NT$48.27

$1.60 NT$52.0

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NT$66.3

$2.43 NT$79.1

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 NT$17.07

$0.63 NT$20.59

-17.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.11 NT$1,210

$18.67 NT$609

98.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$92.3

$2.58 NT$84.0

9.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NT$26.32

$0.90 NT$29.30

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 NT$225

$9.19 NT$300

-25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 NT$31.03

$1.04 NT$33.92

-8.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.5K NT$1.2M

$35.3K NT$1.2M

3.40%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.0K NT$748.9K

$22.2K NT$725.0K

3.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$66.9 NT$2,180

$122 NT$3,981

-45.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.45 NT$569

$14.52 NT$473

20.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 NT$712

$20.46 NT$667

6.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 NT$984

$31.28 NT$1,020

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 NT$231

$11.39 NT$372

-37.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 NT$352

$10.22 NT$333

5.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$521 NT$17.0K

$326 NT$10.6K

59.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K NT$1.0M

$16.5K NT$536.4K

90.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 NT$2,871

$71.8 NT$2,340

22.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.36 NT$794

$35.78 NT$1,167

-31.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 NT$2,707

$81.7 NT$2,662

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 NT$3,129

$111 NT$3,610

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 NT$20.9K

$382 NT$12.5K

67.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.2K

$266 NT$8,667

64.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 NT$25.3K

$1,188 NT$38.7K

-34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 NT$19.9K

$739 NT$24.1K

-17.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,226 NT$203.0K

$5,811 NT$189.5K

7.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,079 NT$133.0K

$4,266 NT$139.1K

-4.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,507 NT$49.1K

$1,400 NT$45.6K

7.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

2.27

4.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Taoyuan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Taichung: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Taoyuan

$437 36.9%

Taichung

$266 23.9% 39.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

Taoyuan

$306 25.8%

Taichung

$368 33.1% 20.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Taoyuan

$131 11.1%

Taichung

$135 12.1% 2.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taoyuan

$106 9%

Taichung

$157 14.1% 48% $51

Eating Out

Taoyuan

$106 8.9%

Taichung

$106 9.6% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Taoyuan

$52 4.4%

Taichung

$52 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Taoyuan

$46 3.9%

Taichung

$28 2.5% 38.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in Taoyuan and $382 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Taoyuan vs $31 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $368 per month, with Taoyuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taichung

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

Same time as Taoyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,147,763

2,767,239

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Taoyuan vs Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Taoyuan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Taichung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Taoyuan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $641 in Taoyuan versus $382 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taoyuan – a meal for two runs $25 versus $31 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,183 per month in Taoyuan versus $1,112 in Taichung – Taichung is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Taichung is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Taichung is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Taoyuan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Taoyuan and Taichung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Taichung wins on affordability, Taoyuan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.